Addressing machine



Aug. 28, 1962 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 KUNIO A. SUMIDA 3,051,083

ADDRESSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY 28, 1962 KUNIO A. SUMIDA3,051,083

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1960 4 SheetsSheet 2 U' J Q-HH I I LINVENTOR. Awwa A. jL/M/D/i A r TOR/V5 Y Aug. 1962 KUNlO A. SUMIDA$051,083

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Aug. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,VTINYENTOR. Awwo4. SUM/0A A TTOE/VE 'Aug- 2 1952 KUNIO A. SUMIDA ADDRESSING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 8, 1960 tag INVENTOR k9 g Au/v/a A. SUM/04Unite This invention relates to a machine for addressing enve'lopes,post cards or other mailing pieces, as well as imprinting uponrectangular sheets or cards, generally.

Prior addressing machines embody faults and are objectionable for one ormore of the following reasons:

Machines that use metal plate master or imprinting elements requirenoisy and expensive composing and embossing techniques; use bulky,heavy, costly and space consuming metal plates; and prevent directkeeping of visual records (name, address, etc.) on the metal plate.Machines that use stencils require inking apparatus; stencils that arebulky and expensive, since stencil holders are required; and, as above,visual records cannot be kept on stencils. In machines that use a spiritduplicating process with a spirit master in roll form, changing of themaster list is diflicult because splicing is entailed for both additionsto the list and deletions thereform; and manual feed of both the masterand copy sheets or pieces is usually involved. A machine using a spiritmaster file card, requires a special holder for the master cards andmanual feed of the copy material or pieces.

An object of the present invention is to provide an addressing machinethat obviates the above listed disadvantages and provides a machine,based on the commonly used spirit duplicating process that expeditiouslyand with easy facility, simultaneously and automatically feeds themaster and copy material to cause the former to imprint on the latterand then effect a separation of the master elements and the imprintedcopy elements.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterreferred to, that can be easily set up to handle various types and sizesof mailing pieces, such as post card, combined post and return cards,envelopes ranging from #6 to sizes, and letter size folders.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine that, inaddition to addressing mailing pieces, may imprint other matter onsheets or cards, as well as information on time cards, job cards, etc.

Delivery of a stack of master elements as well as of the imprinted copy,each in proper stacked relationship after addressing or imprinting, isimportant. Since the stack of master elements is to be used again, it isdesirable that the same be delivered by the machine in such order thatre shufiiing is not necessary before such subsequent use may beeffected. Also, retention of alphabetical sequence, in an A to Zrelationship, rather than the reverse, is desired, since inspectionand/or additions or deletions in the list may be more readily andaccurately effected in such A to Z order. In prior machines, specialmeans is provided for manipulating, as by flipping over either themaster elements or the imprinted copies before the same are stacked. Thepresent. invention has for another ob ject to provide a machine in whichthe relationship of the master elements and copy members is so arrangedthat the same stack in separate receiving trays in proper alphabeticalorder directly upon discharge or movement past an imprinting area.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel and improved meansfor feeding master and copy elements together in correctly timedrelationship regardless of variations in the size of the copy elementsand of change or shift of the location of the imprint on the copyelements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simple machineof the type referred to in which feed of the copy and the masterelements, is effected on a one-at-a- States Patent time basis withoutresort to special sheet-separating means, as in prior machines.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of constr-uction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description, which is based on theaccompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show,'and thefollowing description merely describes, one embodiment of the presentinvention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an addressing machine according tothe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the other side.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view, portions of the machine being brokenaway for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 4 is a simplified and fragmentary side view of the feed andimpression portions of the machine showing the paths of movement of themaster and copy elements.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional View as taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a face View showing the data-bearing or reverse side of amaster element.

FIG. 8, to a smaller scale, schematically shows the relationship of themaster and copy elements during imprinting and the separate paths takenby said elements to stacked positions.

The present addressing or imprinting machine comprises, generally, aframe 10 that rigidly includes a support 11 for a pack of masterelements M on one side, and a support 12 for a pack of copy elements Con the opposite side, means 13 for locating and holding each pack infeed position, means 14- to feed the master elements, similar means 15to feed copy elements, cam means 15 to synchronously control the feedmeans 14 and 15, a handle 17 to turn said cams to effect successivefeeding of the master and copy elements, an impression drum 18 that isrotated by said handle, a stripper member 19 in such relation to thedrum as to strip away a copy element C from the related master element Mafter imprinting by the latter on the former, means 20 in the path ofmovement of the copy elements to wet the same in advance of imprintingthereon, means: 21 providing a supply of wetting agent to the means 20,an impression roller 22 cooperating with the drum 18 to effect animprinting operation on elements M and C being synchronously fed, anejector roller means 23 at the exit end of the stripper member 19, atray 24- below and forward of the impression drum 18 to collect andstack the master elements after imprinting, and a tray 25 beneath thetray 24 to collect and stack the imprinted copy elements.

The frame 10 is shown as comprising a base member 3t) and .two sidemembers 31 and 32 alfixed to said base member to form a U-shaped framethat is open at the top and at the ends between the side members 31 and32; across said open top and spanning between the side members isprovided a member that has a horizontal top 33 from which downwardlyextend vertical walls 34 and 35, the former on the side toward thesupport 11, and the latter on the side toward the support 12. An opening36 is for-med in the wall 34 and a similar opening 37 is formed in wall35. the two openings being offset, as can best be seen in FIG. 6. Saidspanning member is disposed substantially centrally between the supports11 and 12.

The support 11 for the pack of master elements M comprises a horizontalfloor 38 that spans between and is 3 afiixed to the frame sides 31 and32, said floor being provided with a lip 39 that is disposed below andin spaced relation to the lower edge of vertical wall 34. The line ofbend of said lip is spaced outwardly from wall 34 and the slope thereofis downward and inward from said line of bend. It will be clear that amaster element M of flexible card form, when in fiatwise positionagainst the outer face of wall 34, will have its lower edge incontactwith the lip 39, while all the other elements M of the pack willbe resting on the floor 38. If a force is applied on the innermostelement M to move the same in a downward direction, the angle of slopinglip 39 will cause the lower portion of the element to flex inwardly and,thereby, cause the element to move downwardly past the edge of the lip.

The support 12 for the pack of copy elements C also has a horizontalfloor 46 and a downwardly and inwardly sloping lip 41 that has the samerelationship to the lower edge of vertical wall 35 as has the lip 39 towall 34. Therefore, upon application of a downward force on an element Cin fiatwise engagement with wall 35, said element will feed past theinner edge of lip 41 as does element M.

In this instance, the copy elements C are longer than the masterelements M and require a longer period of feed to move toward theirrespective collecting trays 25 and 24. Although the synchrony of thefeed may be varied by change in the orientation of the cam means 16, thefeed relationship of the elements C and M is more readily adjusted bylocating the support 12 at a level lower than support 11, as can be seenin FIGS. 4 and 5.

The locating and holding means 1.3 for the pack of elements M comprisesa bail member 42 that has pivots 43 in the frame sides 31 and 3-2, andis biased by a spring 44 to press said pack in a direction toward theWall 34. Said means, for the pack of elements C, comprises a bail member4-5 on pivots 46, and a biasing spring 47. The

pack M, as can be seen from FIG. 3, has a position against the innerface of frame side 32, while pack C may be located between members 48and 49, both carried by the top 33 and/ or the wall 35. Of course, thetransverse orientation of the packs M and C may be varied, the one shownin FIG. 3 conforming to the transverse relationship shown in FIG. 8.

The means 14 is shown as a feed wheel 54) that is rotated by a drivenshaft 51 carried by a bracket 52 affixed to a rockshaft 53. Said lattershaft extends between the' frame sides 31 and 32 and is journalledtherein, an extension of said shaft being provided with an arm 54 onwhich is carried a cam roller 55. Said wheel is disposed in registerwith opening 36 in wall 34- and, depending on cam bias against roller55, is either projected to bear against a master element adjacent wall34, as in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, or retracted, as suggested by the dotdashlines in FIG. 4. Rotation of shaft 51 during a projected position of thewheel 50 will frictionally bias such a master element to feed the samedownwardly past lip 39, as above described.

The means 15 for feeding copy elements is substantially the same. A feedwheel 56, in register with opening 37 in wall 35 and on a driven shaft57, engages copy elements C to feed the same past lip 41, as beforedescribed. Shaft 57 is carried by a bracket 58 affixed to a rockshaft 59similar to rockshaft 53. An extension on rockshaft 59 is provided withan arm 66 on which is carried a cam roller 61.

The two shafts 52 and 57 are provided with sprocket wheels 62 and 63,respectively, and are engaged by an endless drive chain 64 that is alsoengaged around a sprocket wheel 65 on a shaft 66 extending between andhaving bearing in the frame sides 31 and 32. A chain tightener 6 7 takesup slack in said chain and responds to projected and retracted positionsof the wheels 50 and 56. The handle 17 is provided on shaft 66 and asingle turn of said handle will cause a single rotation of shaft 66 and,because of the difference in size between sprocket wheels 62 and 63 andof larger sprocket wheel 65, the wheels Stl and 56 will be turnedseveral rotations to effect feed movement of elements M and C.

These rotations of the wheels 50 and 56 will be effective to feedelements M and C only when the same are projected through the openings36 and 37. Such projection is effected by the cam means 16 which is hereshown as a cam 58 that is engaged by roller 55, and a cam 69 that isengaged by roller 61. Said cams are carried by shaft 66 and may beangularly relatively adjusted to obtain the exact synchrony of feed ofelements M and C that is desired.

The impression drum 18 is affixed to shaft 66 and makes a singlerotation for each rotation of handle 17. Thus, the one handlesimultaneously feeds elements M and C and moves the same in synchronousregister past the impression point between drum 18 and impression roller22. The drum 18 is so placed relative to the elements M and C being fed,that the element M engages the cylindrical face of the drum with theelement C on the outside thereof.

The stripper member 19 comprises a sheet metal member that is affixed tothe inner face of frame side 32. The same is formed to have an arcuateportion 70 that is transversely coextensive with the drum and spacedtherefrom to provide clearance for an element M to move with the drumduring rotation of the latter, a straight upper extension 71 that has anupper end located against the rockshaft 53, and inwardly spaced from theedge of lip 3? so that elements M moving past said lip may be guided bysaid extension between the arcuate portion 70 and the drum, a stripperflange 72 spaced from the lower edge of portion 70, a space 73 beingdefined between said flange and said edge, thereby exposing an element Mtrained around the drum, and a terminal flange 74 at the lower forwardportion of the stripper member, the same being downwardly directed andhaving an opening 75 formed therein, as may be seen in FIG. 6.

The means 20 is shown as a wick 76 that extends across the frame betweensides 31 and 32, and is carried, as by end brackets, by the lip 41 ofcopy element sup port 12. Said wick is spaced from the lip to allow theelements C to move over the lip as above described. An applicator roller77 receives moisture with which wick '76 is saturated, said roller beingrubber covered and driven by chain 64 through a sprocket wheel 77a onthe shaft of said roller, and a pressure roller 78 is associated withroller 77 to press elements C moving between them into wettingengagement with roller 77. The roller 78 is made of absorbent materialand is carried by bell-crank levers 79 at the ends, the same beingbiased by springs 8t? to create the mentioned pressure between rollers77 and 78. The wick is held in flexed contact with roller 77 by apressure plate 81that has a position below and against the rockshafts 53and 59. Thus, the elements C are wetted on their faces that engageroller 77, these faces being directed toward the drum 18 as the elementsmove into engagement with the elements M that are being fed and movedbetween said drum and the stripper member 19.

Water is ordinarily used as the wetting liquid, the same being dirctedto saturate the wick by the means 21. Said means is shown as a tank 82that is disposed beneath the support 12 and carried by a bracket plate83 spanning between the frame sides 31 and 32. Said tank has a fillercap 84 and is provided with two nipples 85 and 86, as can best be seenin FIG. 3. A bracket 87 on the outer face of frame side 31 mounts aplunger type pump 88, the hollow plunger 8 of which is engaged by anextension of the arm 60. Said plunger, in the usual way, isspring-biased to extended position to draw water from nipple 85, througha tube 91, into the pump barrel. Upon depression of the plunger 89during operation of the machine by means of handle 17, the watercollected in the pump barrel is displaced through the hollow of theplunger into a flexible conduit 92 which directs water to one end of thewick. To insure against over-supply of water to the wick, the oppositeend is connected to a flexible conduit 93 which connects to the othernipple 86. The conduit provides an overflow line since the same issubject to the same suction that draws Water into tube 91 when the pumpplunger is extended. The usual check valves are provided in the pump sothat same has the single pump action above described, once for eachrotation of the handle 17.

The impression roller 22 is rubber covered, as shown in FIG. 5, and iscarried by bellcrank levers 95 that are biased by the mentioned springs'80 to create pressure, forcing two elements C and M into suchengagement that spirit-processed indicia 96 on element M (FIG. 8) areimpressed on the wetted surface of the copy element just before thestripper flange 72 separates the leading edge of the element C as thetwo elements progress toward the terminal flange 74 of the strippermember 19. In this manner, the indicia 96 on the successive masterelements M are successively imprinted on the copy elements C.

The leading edges of the copy elements C encounter a deflector member 97that so engages one side edge portion of each said element as it movestoward the tray 25, that the same is laterally displaced out of itsnormal path to a position against the inner face of frame side 31. FIG.6 shows this relationship of path (the drum 18), deflector member 97 andframe side 31 and suggests at 98 how the imprinted elements C arestacked at the left as viewed from the front of the machine.

The ejector roller means 23- comprises a roller 99 on a bracket arm 1M;that is biased by a spring 101 on its pivot 1 .62 to impose a lightpressure on the master elements M as they exit from the stripper member19. Such pressure keeps the elements M in a straight-out position out ofcontact with the tray 24 therebeneath until the trailing portions ofsaid elements are moved past said roller 99. Then, the elements C willdrop gently into tray 25 being guided by the flange 74 while so doing.The master elements M stack up at the right side of the tray 24, sincethey retain their single path movement from beginning to end.

The trays 24 and 25 are both on the same side of the machine and areshown as being capable of shift from forwardly extended receivingpositions one beneath the other and positions retracted within theperimeter of the frame it} (the latter positions being shown in dot-dashlines), to render the machine compact for convenient portability.

It Will be noted from FIG. 8, that the elements M and C from verticalpositions, when arranged as packs that are edge-supported by therespective supports 38 and 40, are moved in paths around approximately90 (a little more than 90 for the elements M, and a little less forelements C), and stacked at the ends of said paths without turning ofsaid elements. In practice, the carbon or imprinting sides 96 of themaster elements M are placed on the support 11 facing toward the wall34. Since the indicia 96 read backward, the opposite face of eachelement M is provided with identifying legends or other indicia 103which, as seen from FIG. 7, can be read easily. Thus, when such elementsM are in an A to Z stacked or pack arrangement, the sides bearinglegends 103 are uppermost and any element of the stack or pack caneasily be located and the stack or pack added to or reduced, as desired,with easy facility. The pack in this normal condition is placed onsupport 11, with the sides 96 thereof toward wall 34. Thus, the legendsides 103 are faced outwardly and can easily be read so that additionsor removals of elements may be easily effected without need for removingthe stack from the machine.

When said elements M stack up on tray 24, they will be in exactly thesame relationship as when in the original 6 pack. As a consequence, thestack, without change or shift of the elements thereof, may be replacedon support 11 for another run.

The elements C, being printed in a Z to A sequence because the stack ofmaster elements feeds in such sequence, stack up on tray 25, printedside up, so that the completed pile is in A to Z sequence from the topdown. Thus, it is a simple matter to add or remove elements from thestack and, generally to render inspection thereof easy.

FIG. 8. shows copy elements C and C",which are smaller in size thanelements C, and the manner of their orientation with the same masterelements M. Only a shift in the position of gauge member 49 is needed toenable the machine to handle such differently sized elements C. As tolengths of elements C, cam adjustments may be made accordingly.

The term addressing as used in the following claims is intended toinclude imprinting on a copy element of addresses or other indicia 96.

A mixture of water and alcohol instead of water alone may be used forwetting the copy elements before imprintmg.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is nowcontemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the inventon, theconstruction is, of course, subject to modification without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desiredto restrict the invention to the particular form of constructionillustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. An addressing machine comprising a horizontal support for the edgesof a pack of master elements each hav ing an indicia-imprinting face, aseparate support for the edges of a pack of copy elements, means tosynchronously move successive pairs of master and copy elements in atransverse direction from said supports together in a common arcuatepath of approximately means to apply pressure to said pairs while thesame are so moving to imprint on the copy element the indicia of theimprinting face of the master element, means to separate said elementsat the end of said common path, means to receive the master elements instacked relation at the end of the path thereof, and separate meansdirectly beneath the master element-receiving means to receive theimprinted copy elements in stacked relation at the end of the paththereof.

2. An addressing machine comprising a horizontal support for the edgesof a pack of master elements each having an indicia-imprinting face, aseparate support for the edges of a pack and for a stack of copyelements, means to synchronously move successive pairs of master andcopy elements in a transverse direction from said supports together in acommon arcuate path of approximately 90", means to wet the faces of thecopy elements that face the master elements, means to apply pressure tosaid pairs while the same are so moving to imprint on the copy elementthe indicia 'of the imprinting face of the master element, means toseparate said elements at the end of said common path, means to receivethe master elements in stacked relation at the end of the path thereof,and separate means directly beneath the master elementreceiving means toreceive the imprinted copy elements in stacked relation at the end ofthe path thereof.

3. An addressing machineaccording to claim 2 in which is provided meansto regulate the synchronous feeding movement of the pairs of elementsbefore the same are brought to imprinting position.

4. An addressing machine according to claim 2 in which the feed meansincludes a drum around which the pairs of elements are partly trainedduring imprinting one by the other, and a stationary stripper memberconforming to the curvature of the drum and spaced therefrom to '2 stripthe copy elementstrom engagement with the master elements therebypermitting passage only of the master elements to the receiving meansthereof.

5. An addressing machine according to claim 2 in which the feed meansincludes a drum around which the pairs 10f elements are partly trainedduring imprinting one by the other, and a stationary stripper memberconforming .to the curvature of the drum and spaced therefrom to stripthe copy elements from engagement with the master elements therebypermitting passage only of the master elements, to the receiving meansthereof, said stripper member having an opening exposing the masterelements as they move, the means to apply imprinting pressure beinglocated to press against the copy elements disposed against said exposedportions.

6. An addressing machine comprising, in combination, an impression drum,a first horizontal support above said drum for supporting a pack ofprinting elements supported on their edges on said support, a secondhorizontzal support at one side of and spaced from the drum and on alevel lower than the level of the first support .for supporting a packof copy elements supported on their edges on said second support withthe pack of elements in one support facing the pack of elements on theother support, means to synchronously move successive 25 pairs ofprinting and copy elements from the two supports into the space betweensaid drum and the second support, means disposed in said space to applyprinting pressure on said pairs of elements against said impression drumto imprint on the copy element printing indicia of the printing element,a first tray beneath the drum to receive and stack one of the elements,and a second tray beneath the first tray to receive and stack the otherelement.

7. An addressing machine according to claim 6 provided With an aperturedstripper member conforming to the curvature of the drum and through theaperture of which printing pressure is applied, said stripper member,beyond the aperture thereof, being provided with means to separate saidpairs of elements after printing to allow one said element .to move tothe upper tray and direct the other toward the lower tray.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATE TS807,321 Ruth Dec. 12, 1905 852,100 Bullard Apr. 30, 1907 2,548,281Bartholomew Apr. 10, 1951 2,572,450 Crissy Oct. 23, 1951 2,820,408Williams Jan. 21, 1958 2,830,535 Williams Apr. 15, 1958 2,908,220Eichenbaum et a1 Oct. 13, 1959 2,925,031 Wiliiams Feb. 16, 1960

